According to organizers, this is a family event with a luxury camping experience in a resort-like setting and the adventure of hundreds of miles of off-road riding opportunities at your feet.

“It’s not just a trail ride, or trade show; it’s all that, and the final salute to summer poolside with a cool drink and the soundtrack of fun.”

About an hour north of Minneapolis, Minn. sits a boxy structure that could be mistaken for a huge redesigned Best Buy or other topical warehouse store of this modern age of marketing. The giveaway that this location, which sits off busy Interstate 94 heading north and west, isn’t a shelter for low priced electronic goods or IKEA-like furniture lies within the green Arctic Cat logo and even larger Arctic Cat lettering emblazoned across the top of the stone grey building.

This building houses Arctic Cat’s engine assembly. From this central Minnesota building flow all Arctic Cat ATV engines over 500cc. The powerful 951cc hemi-headed V-twin comes from here. The smooth 550cc fuel-injected single comes from here. Just off Interstate 94 in central Minnesota.

It probably took a little longer than he expected, but Adam McGill finally earned his first victory of the season at the ITP Powerline Park GNCC in eastern Ohio, Round 11 of the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. Walker Fowler was nipping at McGill’s heels and fighting until the end, finishing just one second behind at the checkers.

Ballance Racing Yamaha‘s Fowler kicked off Saturday’s afternoon race with high intensity, battling Waynesburg Yamaha’s Jeff Pickens for the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award but it was Pickens who came out on top with his first holeshot of the season. However, Fowler was able to put himself out front on the opening lap and JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda‘s Brian Wolf tucked in behind as the two began to gap the field early on. Wolf slowly faded back as riders like four-time GNCC champ Chris Borich continued to move towards the front.

ATV.com, in partnership with Tractor.com, has been working on a series of articles about how and why ATVs and UTVs can be useful tools for farmers and landowners. In the first article, we looked at what these versatile machines could do to help ease your workload. In the second installment we looked at the pros and cons of choosing between an ATV and UTV. Last week we looked at some of the implements and attachments available to help get the job done around your property. This week, drum roll and all, we’ll discuss specifications and get down to the nitty gritty of helping you chose which four-wheeler is right for your needs.

Weight

Since we’re focusing more on vehicles used for work and less on sport where top speed and all-out performance are desired, the first area to look at is weight. In the case of a sport machine you want the highest horsepower to weight ratio but in the case of a work vehicle where towing and cargo capacity get the job done, light weight isn’t to your benefit. ATVs have the best horsepower to weight ratios where you can see 750 cc or larger engines powering machines with less than 700 lb. curb weights. UTVs can have similar sized powerplants, but curb weights will generally range from 1,000 to over 1,700 lbs.

Size

Despite the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series’ two-month summer break, Chris Borich didn’t show many signs of rust at the Unadilla GNCC in New Berlin, NY. The Suzuki pilot earned his ninth win of the season in 10 races and clinched his fourth consecutive XC1 Pro Class championship. Tireballs-backed rider Pat McGuire extended his points lead in the XC2 division after taking a big win over DeRisi Racing’s Braden Henthorn.

The Can-Am Unadilla GNCC is one of the most noted stops on the GNCC tour as it incorporates the historic “U1” and “U2” motocross tracks into the loamy dark soils of the New York woods. The race action lived up to the hype as the top XC1 contenders went neck-and-neck for one of the most pivotal races of the year. JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda‘s Brian Wolf kicked off the afternoon by taking the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award and led the pack in the early stages. Right behind Wolf was Precision Motorsports/Lonestar Racing/Moto X Perts’ Adam McGill and soon Bowers/Coastal National Guard/Yokley Racing’s Jarrod McClure set in behind the leaders. The trio pushed their way out front on the opening lap, where McGill eventually got around Wolf for the lead. However, it didn’t take long for Borich to catch up and begin applying pressure for the lead position.

It may not seem like it at times, but ATVs and UTVs have long been closely associated with farmers and landowners, and for good reason. While modern high-powered, sport-specific machines seem to dominate the headlines of most off-road publications, this industry can thank much of its growth to four wheelers that help get the work done.

Sure, it’s cool to see the Moore Brothers flinging their sport quads 30 feet into the air or a sport-tuned UTV tearing up the dunes, but to ignore the utility of these machines is to miss half the picture.

The Sand Sports Super Show is just around the corner and the American Sand Association (ASA) is trying to raise some money by raffling off two spectacular off-road machines.

A $20 ticket will give you a chance to win the grand prize Baja GTR by Sand Limo. Second prize is a Polaris RZR XP 900 White Lightning LE. That’s right, second prize is a vehicle worth nearly $17,000!

We here at ATV.com are not really familiar with off-road trucks like the Baja GTR, so we did a little sleuthing on YouTube to see what it was all about. All we can say is “Wow!”

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GBC Motorsports is returning as a sponsor of the 4th Annual SXS & ATV Roundup presented by Yamaha. The event is scheduled for August 31 – September 2 at Brimstone Recreation in Huntsville, Tenn.

Each year the SXS & ATV Roundup attracts visitors from across the country to Brimstone Recreation to partake in a multitude of SXS & ATV events, live music, and the fabled King of the Mountain Challenge.

The event kicks off on Friday, August 31 with guided trail rides of various skill levels followed by a Meet & Greet, Can-Am Sled Pull and “Deuling Drag Race” and the Yamaha Drive-In Movie.

ATVs and UTVs are versatile machines that can be used for a whole lot more than just doing some work around your property or checking out your local trails. This spring and summer we decided to shed some light on a few of these off-road activities with a 12-article series.

We unofficially dubbed it the ATV.com Outdoor Series and explored fishing, hunting and camping with your favorite off-road toys. We also showed you how to use a GPS device, help maintain off-road trails, find new places to ride, and tow your ATV or UTV safely and securely.

In case you missed any of these great articles put together by contributor Rick Sosebee, you can check them all out here.

Hunting and Fishing

Trout Fishing with Kawasaki and Richard Childress

The season finale of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. is one Chad Wienen won’t soon forget. A year ago he was recovering from a broken back, but now he’s capped off an amazing recovery and comeback with his first ever national championship. If there’s been a better ATV story in recent years, we sure haven’t heard it.

Wienen opened the 2012 season with a big win for his all-new Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/ Yamaha team, ultimately winning six of ten rounds in the series. He also gave Factory Yamaha its first ever AMA ATV Pro Motocross national championship.

Chad Wienen and John Natalie have been battling hard all year for the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross Series championship. The pair continued that trend this past weekend at RedBud MX in Buchanan, Mich., where they split moto wins. Wienen, however, did enough to secure the overall victory and take a commanding lead heading into the series’ final round.

When the gate dropped for Moto 1, it was Motoworks/ Can-Am‘s Natalie who took the SSiDecals Holeshot Award, with TBROWN Yamaha/Moto-X-Perts’ Thomas Brown close in tow. Brown made the move past Natalie to take over the early lead, but Natalie quickly stole it back for what turned into a dominant Moto 1 for the defending champ.

The ATV industry voluntarily ended the manufacturing and selling of three-wheeled ATVs back in 1988. Nearly a quarter century later, merely the sight of a three-wheeler can create more profound thought then any other type of ATV. The three-wheeler reminds some of a time when things were more simple, and people got along better. For others, the three-wheeler is a reminder of an overly intrusive government. To those who actually ride one, the a three-wheeler means big thrills, possible spills, but most importantly, good times and good people.

Each year, the week following Father’s Day, Haspin Acres Off-Road Park in Laurel, Ind. hosts Trike Fest, the largest annual gathering of three-wheeled ATV enthusiasts in the country, if not the world. The event lasts between three and five days, with most of the participants arriving on Thursday and departing Saturday evening or Sunday morning. This year’s event drew several hundred riders and machines from as far away as Germany.

Chad Wienen earned his fifth win this season as the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series visited Unadilla Valley Sports Center in New Berlin, NY for Round 8 of the 10-race series. However, Wienen was pushed to the edge by Josh Creamer, the 2010 champion who made his return to the series.

When the gate dropped for Moto 1, it was creamer on his BCS Performance/ Can-Am who took the SSiDecals Holeshot Award as he put himself into the front of the pack right away. Wienen put his Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/ Yamaha right behind Creamer and the duo put on an exciting race for the lead.

Getting a call to do anything outdoors with an outdoor-focused company like Kawasaki usually ends up in a fascinating trip to a place I would normally only dream of visiting. A couple of years ago I had the chance to visit with Kawasaki on a beautiful Montana Ranch owned by NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. As a true fan of the race series I was excited to be invited along and rumors had spread that we would be able to do some trout fishing on the Yellowstone River.

After a two-hour ride from the airport we finally arrived at the Childress home. As we pulled into the covered entry we were met by Richard and his ranch caretaker, Jack. Without hesitation we were loading back into the truck and heading down to the local store to purchase our trout stamps and permits to fish the Yellowstone. Richard has had a longstanding relationship with Kawasaki and his ranch vehicle is a Kawasaki Teryx NRA Edition. Although we would take the trucks down to the river the plan was to roll out later for an adventure on the Childress ranch aboard the Teryx.

Not even the weather can stop Chris Borich. The three-time defending Grand National Cross Country Series champion picked up his sixth straight XC1 Pro ATV win in the sweltering heat of the Wieseco John Penton GNCC at Sunday Creek Raceway. Adam McGill and Walker Fowler battled to the final moments in order to secure podium finishes.

The John Penton historically serves as the final stop before the series takes a break over the summer months, and for good reason as the blistering heat of early July intensified the already grueling two-hour competition. Precision Motorsports/Lonestar Racing/Moto X Perts’ Adam McGill was rearing to go in his first full race back from injury, taking the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award and putting himself into the lead-pack right away. Ballance Racing Yamaha‘s Taylor Kiser took control of the opening lap as he led McGill and Borich through Lap 1-where Kiser and Borich set in for their first pit-while McGill chose to keep his momentum rolling into the second place position.

California’s OHV community is fighting hard to save the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Area from being taken over by the Marines. One group, the Tin Benders 4×4 Club, is donating funds to help ensure civilians can continue using the largest OHV area in the United States.

The Tin Bender Jamboree attracted approximately 400 people and 110 Vehicles were officially registered for the event and therefore eligible for the free prize drawing. Roughly $10,000 was raised for the California Motorized Recreation Council (CMRC), which is leading the fight to save Johnson Valley as a premier destination for off-road motor sports events and family recreation. The Tin Benders $9,500 donation was pushed to $10,000 with a $500 donation from Mike Ruzicka, who donated art work for the event T-Shirts.

“This land is very important to all of us, we need to do everything we can to protect it” says club member and off-road racer Eric Anderson.

Chad Wienen beat the heat and outdueled Joel Hetrick in the most recent round of the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series at Sunday Creek Raceway in southern Ohio. Wienen and Hetrick split moto wins, but Wienen did just enough to earn the overall victory.

When the gate dropped for Moto 1, it was Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/ Yamaha’s Chad Wienen who grabbed his first SSi Decals Holeshot Award of 2012, with Motoworks/ Can-Am’s Hetrick, Baldwin Motorports/PEP’s Josh Upperman and John Natalie in tow. Hetrick began applying pressure to Wienen early, before finally securing the pass for the lead on lap three. Wienen began closing the gap on Hetrick by mid-race, but the young gun put in several quick and consistent laps, building a comfortable cushion all the way to the checkers.

As avid ATV and UTV enthusiasts, few things make us happier than sharing our love of the sport with likeminded people. The 2012 Eastern Sierra ATV & UTV Jamboree took place earlier this month and though we weren’t able to go, our friends at STI Tire & Wheel were kind enough to share some of their great photos from the event.

According to organizers, this is California’s only ATV and UTV jamboree and if you happen to be in the area it’s not to be missed. Check out the photos below the jump and see for yourself. Next Year’s Eastern Sierra ATV & UTV Jamboree is scheduled for June 11-15, 2013. Sign up now and experience the fun for yourself.

Brian Wolf looked like the man to beat at the 2012 Motosport.com Snowshoe GNCC in West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain, but a mechanical issue on the final lap allowed Chris Borich to secure the victory – his fifth in a row and seven in eight races this season in the XC1 Pro ATV class.

Wolf (JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda’s) put himself into the lead at the beginning of the two-hour race and by the end of Lap 1 had stretched the lead to nearly one-minute over Ballance Racing Yamaha’s Walker Fowler and Maxxis/Yoshimura’s Chris Borich. Fowler ran into some issues midway through the race, pushing the young gun outside the top five for quite some time.

“At one point I think I was all the way back to sixth and I guess I figured that was as good as I could do today, but before I knew it I had caught up with [Chris] Bithell and Borich,” says Fowler. “The mud holes were getting wider and deeper so it was getting a little more difficult to maneuver around, but the fans were awesome today in helping all of us get through!”

As Fowler dropped back, his Ballance Racing Yamaha teammate Taylor Kiser pushed his way into the lead-battle with Borich and Wolf. But it didn’t take long for Bithell (Motoworks/ Can-Am) to make his way around Kiser for the third spot, despite some mechanical issues he was experiencing along the way.

Getting out on the trail is a concern for many this summer and with weekends not being nearly long enough for us it seems we will just have to ride all summer and into the fall to get our ATV fix. But before squeezing the throttle you’ll want to make sure your ATV is as ready to ride as you are.

Without proper maintenance your ATV will turn from trusted friend to a ticked off nuisance. We want to take just a brief look at some things to consider before heading out on the trail.

Fuel

Riding in his home state, John Natalie picked up his second straight win in Round 6 of the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series at High Point Raceway in Mount Morris, Pa. Points leader Chad Wienen split moto wins with Natalie, while Thomas Brown secured his first podium finish of 2012.

Natalie (Motoworks/ Can-Am) kicked off Moto 1 with the SSi Decals Holeshot Award and held the early lead over teammate Joel Hetrick, Brown and Nick DeNoble. Wienen (Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/ Yamaha) got into a collision with Josh Upperman off the start, causing both riders to fall behind the pack. It wasn’t long before Hetrick put the moves on Natalie, taking control of the Moto 1 lead; but only for a couple laps as he experienced mechanical issues that forced him to pull into the mechanic’s area to readjust.

Round 5 of the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series made its way to Oakland, Ky., where defending champion John Natalie made history by sweeping the first-ever ATVMX night race at Ballance Moto X. The specially-designed night track was made up of technical whoop-sections and quick lap times, and the unique atmosphere made for a spectator-friendly weekend of racing.

Central Kentucky hosted a regular day of amateur racing at the home track of nine-time GNCC ATV champion Bill Ballance, but the evening show brought an all-new element to the race program. The AMA Pro ATV class featured two motos under the lights, while the Pro-Am Production class highlighted the amateur portion of night racing, and the Women and 50cc Sr. (6-8) classes wrapped up their second motos under the lights.

Though only its third year, the Rally on the Rocks is already one of the must-attend events of the year for off-road enthusiasts. Unfortunately, we were unable to enjoy the 2012 Rally on the Rocks, but our friends at STI Tire & Wheel were kind enough to share some of their great photos.

It looked like a great time was had by everybody and we can’t wait to experience it for ourselves next year.

Check out the rest of the photos below the jump.

Over the last few weeks we have been looking at things you must do leading up to a great hunt experience. Now that you’ve got your Hunter Safety Course Certification and have purchased all your gear, it’s time for the great turkey hunt! After some time on the phone with the guys at Yamaha a date was set and before I knew it I was pulling into the camp house getting ready to go out and prepare for the hunt.

When you go to a different state to hunt the first thing you want to do is get an out of state license. This allows you to hunt in that state and it is no different than your own state permit except it could cost just a little more because you are not a resident. For visitors to Nebraska, the hunting license costs $20. The next item you will need is the tag for the game you will be hunting. Getting a turkey in the great state of Nebraska seems expensive ($91 per tag) and you are only allowed three tags per season for Turkey, which means you can only take three turkeys. Hunting the big bird is usually very difficult so getting three would be a great season.

Anticipation was high coming into this weekend’s Inaugural running of the Can-Am Mountaineer Run GNCC in West Virginia, Round 7 of the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. Racing action was intense as six men battled to the finish for the XC1 class win, but once again Maxxis/Yoshimura’s Chris Borich bested the field and picked up his sixth win in seven races this season. The Ballance Racing Yamaha duo of Taylor Kiser and Walker Fowler joined Borich on the podium.

Precision Motorsports/Lonestar Racing/Moto X Perts’ Adam Mcgill grabbed the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award and set sail with the early lead. The first lap was a virtual free-for-all with the top ten riders swapping spots every few corners on the rocky, technical circuit. McGill experienced mechanical issues early in lap two, which would ultimately end his day and leave six riders to fight to get to the front.

Chad Wienen came into round four of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship with heavy momentum as the series returned to his hometown track at Sunset Ridge MX in Walnut, Ill. Wienen once again swept both motos of the day, marking seven of the eight moto wins this season and further extended his lead in the championship point standings.

Motoworks/ Can-Am’s Joel Hetrick proved that he could lay down the fastest lap time as was the top qualifier. However, it was Lonestar/SSi Decals/Get Dirty MX’s Nick DeNoble who captured both SSi Decals Holeshot Awards but the Wisconsin native ran into issues all day, keeping him from finishing both motos.

Your ATV or UTV can be used for a lot more than just enjoying the trails or doing some work around your property. These machines can also be very useful on a hunting excursion. However, before you clean your gun and gas up your off-road hunting rig you’ve got to get certified.

It’s hardly the first thing that comes to mind before you go on that first hunt, but it’s required that every hunter complete a safety course. This course keeps the hunting nation full of safe, knowledgeable hunters. As a teen in school I remember the course being offered and made plans several times to attend the two day/night classroom study. As luck would have it I never attended the course and when I got invited to go on my first turkey hunt a little while back I knew it was time to hit the books. The only drawback was that the turkey hunt was only a month away and all the classes in my area had already been filled up! Fortunately, this is the age in the Internet so I was able to take an online course at http://www.hunter-ed.com/.

Defending champion Chris Borich has looked all but unbeatable so far in the 2012 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. His success continued this past weekend as he used another late pass to win the Limestone 100, securing his fifth win in six races to take a commanding lead in the race for the XC1 championship.

Bowers/Coastal National Guard/Yokley Racing’s Jarrod McClure grabbed his second $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award of the season through the windy turns of the Lawrence County Recreational Park, but some early carnage with AMA ATV Motocross Pro Derek Swartfager caused McClure to drop back a few positions. Swartfager got sideways heading into the woods and tagged a tree, stopping up a majority of the XC1 field behind. That’s when GBC/Cernics/HMF/ Yamaha’s Johnny Gallagher, JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda’s Brian Wolf and BNR’s Kevin Yoho made their escape from the pack and began pulling a gap early on.

Mark Holz pushed the Coastal/HRP Polaris RZR XP 900 to the Class 1900 win in the Best In The Desert Silver State 300. The competition was tight all day, but when the dust settled, Holz had made time on the leader – the Jagged X RZR – and took the win. After 300 miles and six and half-hours of racing the margin of victory was less than one minute.

“We started in the back and knew the Jagged guys were going fast. All we could do was put our heads down and get to work,” says Holz, who drove the entire race.

Joel Hetrick may not have taken the checkers in a moto during the third round of the AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series, but the Motoworks/ Can-Am rider’s two second-place finished were enough to secure the overall victory at Budds Creek MX.

Wienen Motorsports/SSi Decals/Walsh Race Craft/ Yamaha’s Chad Wienen continued his five-race win streak in Moto 1 as he made his way out front immediately and went on to lead all twelve laps of the race. But it was Baldwin Motorports/PEP’s Josh Upperman ( Honda) who grabbed the SSi Decals Holeshot Award and led for a brief moment before Wienen put himself into the lead. Hetrick put in a solid second place finish, coming in less than three seconds behind Wienen. Upperman worked hard to fend off TBROWN Yamaha Racing/Moto-X-Perts rider Thomas Brown to maintain third place in Moto 1, while Brown finished a close fourth after getting off to a rough start.

We hear so much bad news about ATV and off-road trails and ride areas being shut down, it’s nice to have a little good news to report. How good? How about an 80-acre complex with three different tracks, concessions and covered viewing areas that’s open for business starting May 5?

33 MotoSports Park is located in Northern Michigan and looks to be well on its way to being one of the best facilities in the country that caters to ATVs, UTVs, snowmobiles and dirt bikes. Even more impressive is that it has all been constructed since October of 2011! This includes the design of three unique tracks, developing jumps, building the concession and registration facility with a full patio, fencing in infield and staging areas, and leveling, lime stoning and rolling out the parking area. Wow!

Defending Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series champion Chris Borich and Balance Racing Yamaha rookie Walker Fowler went head to head at the inaugural Can-Am Mammoth GNCC in Park City, Ky. In the end, Borich used one of his patented late-race passes to secure his fourth win of the season.

Walker Fowler managed to seal the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award amongst a pretty chaotic Pro class start, and he and Ballance Racing teammate Taylor Kiser jumped out front early on, writing the beginning to a perfect story for the weekend. Bowers/Coastal National Guard/Yokley Racing’s Jarrod McClure put himself up front right away and contested the lead pack, along with Borich, who casually tucked into the top five right away. It’s always a tossup on who’s going to lead the race early on, because in GNCC Racing the strategy is all about picking it up at the end of the race, which seems to be a signature move of Borich this season, but there were several instances where he wanted to pass Fowler throughout the race, but couldn’t stick the move.



After opening the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series with a win four weeks ago, Chad Wienen (Wienen Motorsports/SSi/Walsh/ Yamaha) controlled things again in Round 2 of the Series at Muddy Creek Raceway by sweeping both motos and extending his points lead over defending champion John Natalie in the overall standings.

While Motoworks/ Can-Am’s Joel Hetrick was once again the fastest qualifier, it was ATVMX veteran Harold Goodman who shot out to the Moto 1 SSi Decals holeshot. Goodman, however, was quickly passed by Baldwin Motorports/PEP’s Josh Upperman who managed to lead the pack of pro racers before Natalie moved into the lead by lap three on his Motoworks/Can-Am. Wienen had a mid-pack holeshot but quickly put himself within striking distance of Natalie’s lead and the duo picked up the intense battle right where they left off at round one. Wienen stalked Natalie until the final lap and once again cut underneath the Ironman to steal the last minute lead and Moto 1 victory as the rain started to fall on the Muddy Creek Raceway.

Defending champion Chris Borich bounced back from his fist loss of the season to win the VP Racing Fuels Big Buck GNCC this weekend in Union, SC. Borich edged out 2011 runner-up Adam McGill by only two seconds.

Taylor Kiser, who fought off Borich in a thrilling race two weeks earlier, looked to be on form early on as he quickly grabbed the $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award, gapping Ballance Racing Yamaha teammate Walker Fowler and JG Offroad/FRE/American Honda’s Brian Wolf from the get-go. Wolf and Fowler are no strangers in battle as the two former XC2 champions went head-to-head for years in the Pro Am division, but this time the intensity took over and the two riders came together just after the finish area. Wolf took the short end at first when he went sailing to the ground, but it was Fowler who ultimately suffered when his ATV quit working shortly after he passed Wolf for second. It didn’t take long for Fowler to figure out the mechanical issue wasn’t fixable and the track crew towed him into the pits.

Taylor Kiser went toe-to-toe with defending champion Chris Borich in the final stages of the FMF Steele Creek GNCC in Morganton, NC and secured his first win of 2012.

The Ballance Racing Yamaha team dominated almost every aspect of the two-hour race, beginning with Walker Fowler’s $250 Motosport.com Holeshot Award. Kiser joined Baldwin Motorsports/FRE/JG Offroad Honda‘s Brian Wolf and Motoworks/ Can-Am‘s Chris Bithell in following his teammate during the early stages of the race, as the foursome switched off the lead during the first lap.

It’s been an awfully long nine months for Chad Wienen. He broke his back in a training accident last June and after months of rehab and training he was ready to race again in the season-opener of the 2012 AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series on Sat, Mar. 26. It was a day he won’t soon forget, as he and his new team (Wienen Motorsports/SSi/Walsh/ Yamaha) earned a 1-1 moto sweep and the overall victory at Aonia Pass MX Park in Washington, Ga.

In the opening moto of the Pro ATVMX class, it was Baldwin Motorports/PEP’s Josh Upperman who grabbed the SSi Decals Holeshot Award and led the early part of the race. It wasn’t long before Wienen powered his new Yamaha ride into the lead, though, passing Upperman through the fan-filled finish line section.

With only five days to regroup after the opening round of racing, the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series returned to action for round two at The Maxxis General GNCC in Washington, Ga. It was an all-out battle for the podium positions, as the top seven ATV racers ran nose-to-tail for six laps of the grueling two-hour race.

Three time and defending ATV champion, Chris Borich, used his veteran knowledge to once again outmatch his opponents and secure the win at Aonia Pass MX Park. It wasn’t until XC1 rookie Walker Fowler ran into late-race mechanical issues that Borich was able to breathe easily, though.

Maxxis/Yoshimura-backed Chris Borich ( Suzuki) put together one of his patented last-lap charges to win the Moose Racing Westgate River Ranch GNCC, the season-opener of the Can-Am Grand National Cross-Country Series.

The defending GNCC champion powered past Adam McGill ( Honda) and Chris Bithell ( Can-Am) in the rough, whooped-out Florida sand. Borich settled into the third position immediately into the two-hour battle, but after tagging a tree with his front bumper, Borich was forced to pull into the pits for some additional tweaking.

As consumers get more get more connected and technically savvy, manufacturers and retailers are turning to unconventional means to promote their products and communicate with the buying public. BRP, makers of Can-Am ATVs and UTVs, has taken a giant leap into the modern age with its use of social media in recent months.

BRP recently held a sweepstakes to give away two brand new 2012 Can-Am ATVs. This in itself is nothing new, as we’ve seen many manufacturers give away plenty of machines over the years. What sets BRP apart is that its contest, dubbed the Can-Am 4x4x4x4 Sweepstakes, was held entirely on Facebook. That’s a fairly bold step into an unfamiliar world, considering more than $25,000 worth of product was to be given away. To facilitate more interaction, BRP set up the sweepstakes so that in encouraged people to stay active and involved by rewarding them with more chances to win. It turned into quite the social experiment.

We just got back home from our annual pilgrimage to Indianapolis, Ind., to see the latest and greatest powersports accessories. Though it seemed a little less crowded with dealers than in years past, the 2012 Indianapolis Dealer Expo featured more new ATV and UTV products than we expected. The economy may still be still struggling to right itself, but it doesn’t seem to have slowed innovation and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

This year’s Dealer Expo saw some aftermarket names introduce some exciting new products. Companies like Vance & Hines, Yoshimura, DragonFire Racing all released some accessories that will be high on many wish lists. As well, some new faces have entered the fray with bold ideas that are sure to raise an eyebrow and help take our industry to the next level.

Vance & Hines Dual Exhaust System

We may still be mired in a sluggish economy, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it if you looked at what the ATV and UTV manufacturers introduced in 2011.

It really was an interesting year. Not only did 2011 reveal the most expensive and wildest machines ever produced by major ATV/UTV manufacturers, but we also saw some machines that were specifically targeting those a little lighter in the wallet. If the past 12 months taught us anything it’s that there really is something for everybody.

Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000i

We can’t think of a single instance in our years of covering the off-road universe where a manufacturer did as good a job of building up suspense and anticipation of a new product like Arctic Cat did with the Wildcat 1000i.

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It all started in March, 2011 with a leaked video from an Arctic Cat dealer event that gave everybody a glimpse of what was to come. No details were revealed – just a quick look at what Arctic Cat had in mind. Cat followed that up a few weeks later with just a few vague details when CEO Claude Jordan said the machine was inspired by race bred and race proven designs and would feature an extremely capable suspension.

“We are excited to also announce that this year’s rally is sponsored by Arctic Cat,” organizers say in a release. “In addition to a new presenting sponsor we have a lot of great and new things planned for this year’s event including an on-site rock crawling demo track with demo rides being provided by Arctic Cat.

“Come join us in beautiful Moab, UT and drive the greatest, coolest, gnarliest, and most scenic trails in the world in your UTV/SXS. Also, our vendor row promises to be bigger and better than ever. We are also excited to mention that this year we’ve added the Sagebrush Coalition, a Moab local trail support group to support the rally and our attendees while on the trails adding even more experience to our already experienced group here at ROTR!”

The sun breaks open the sky, as a cool breeze rolls across the beach and off in the distance the faint sighting of a dolphin pod cruises through the bay. Just out the window I see the Todos Santos Island off in the distance with the Pacific Ocean as its backdrop. Ensenada is across the water just in sight yet seemingly out of reach. Baja California is a beautiful place and today the greatest drivers, riders and chasers in the industry are here for the final race of the year. This is the 44th annual SCORE International Baja 1000!

Rewind

As I thought about the possibility that I may actually get to cover the mighty Baja 1000 it didn’t take long for the excitement to build. I would be riding across the beautiful United States of America with friend and local racer Richie Brown, who was part of the Quad75 team that was trying to win the biggest test of man and machine in North America. Richie made his mark in the world of desert racing when he was the first to solo the Baja 1000 on an ATV. This young guy from Dahlonega, Ga. put down 1047 miles in just 39 hours. This was indeed an accomplishment.

The trip from Dawsonville, Ga. to Ensenada in Baja was going to be a bit longer though as we had 2275 miles to go before the first race vehicle would be even heard. We loaded up the van and left on Saturday morning after breakfast. It would take us until Sunday night and into early Monday morning to get to the home just outside Ensenada where we would be staying.

Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., made its annual donation to the Feed the Children charity Friday, Nov. 18 at Yamaha’s corporate headquarters in Cypress, Calif. Company officials presented two checks totaling $25,000 along with a truck load of donated items to the organization. As part of the festivities, Yamaha also celebrated a successful 2011 racing season with several championship-winning Yamaha Race Team members in attendance.

“The annual Feed the Children and Race Team celebration is something everyone at Yamaha looks forward to each year,” says Bob Starr, Yamaha general manager of motorsports communications. “As we move into the holiday season, it’s a great time to reflect upon the hard work and donations collected over the year that have a direct impact on families in need. Thanks to all of the Yamaha employees and the Star Touring and Riding Association for their efforts.”

ATV racing champions Dustin Nelson and Walker Fowler were on hand to celebrate their successful ATV racing seasons. Both Nelson and Fowler boasted perfect campaigns: Fowler closes out the 2011 GNCC series with the XC2 championship, going undefeated and notching a record 13 straight wins. Nelson was also perfect and clinched his fifth QuadX Championship after winning all eight races in the series.

Pro Armor is holding is Second Annual Fall Fun Ride in Ocotillo, Calif. the weekend of Dec. 2-4.

The manufacturer of ATV and UTV aftermarket goodies will be giving out free T-shirts at the event, which will also feature a taco dinner, beer, margaritas, music and dancing on Saturday night.

If you’ll be in Southern California the first weekend of December, this sounds like a cool event to check out.